A tall tale from deep in the bayou

Gather ’round, readers, and welcome to Sugar Man Swamp in the Texas bayou, home of an intriguing menagerie that includes raccoons, rattlesnakes, wild hogs (the Farrow Gang), alligators, possums, an elusive ivory-billed woodpecker and much more. King of this ecosystem is Sugar Man, a cousin of Bigfoot who stays hidden and sleeping, only emerging during a crisis.And indeed, a crisis is...

A 10-year-old behind bars

Prisoner 88, Leah Pileggi’s engaging debut novel, was inspired by a tour of the Old Idaho Penitentiary in Boise, Idaho. As Pileggi took in the sights of the “Old Pen,” the docent happened to mention that the youngest prisoner incarcerated there was 10-year-old James Oscar Baker, convicted of manslaughter in the 1880s. The idea for Prisoner 88 was born.This evocative, heartfelt...

Simple truths from a summer with grandma

“Not all kids are best friends with their grandmothers. But I am,” narrator Robbie tells readers in the opening pages of The Truth of Me. Robbie’s parents are touring the world with their string quartet, so Robbie—along with his other best friend, his dog Ellie—are staying with Robbie’s grandmother Maddy for the summer.Maddy isn’t like most...